Warmth records in reach Friday as mild winds blow into Ontario
The end of this week certainly won't feel like the heart of winter across Ontario, as temperatures soar into unusual February territory
We’ll end the workweek across southern Ontario with temperatures soaring more than 15 degrees above normal in spots, a day that’ll feel more like spring than February.
The same system that brought deadly flooding to California early in the week is moving into Ontario as we head into the weekend, ushering in a chance for rain alongside those warmer winds.
Make sure to plan some outdoor time on Friday to enjoy the unseasonable warmth. Cooler temperatures will return before too long.
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Temperatures set to soar on Friday
A batch of rain will move into southern Ontario through the overnight hours Thursday into Friday as a warm front slides across the region. Light rain and scattered showers are possible into the Greater Toronto Area into the morning commute.
Rainfall totals should come in around 5 mm for most communities, and up to 10 mm possible into cottage country and the Nickel Belt.
While the rainfall totals won’t be much to write home about, the northward extent of the rain sure is noteworthy—we’ll see plain rain all the way up toward Moosonee and James Bay, where snow should be plentiful this time of year.
The rain’s northward reach is a testament to the warm air surging into Ontario on the southerly winds sweeping ahead of this low-pressure system.
Friday will remain mostly dry across southern Ontario. A few isolated showers are possible, but most communities should remain dry and mild with even a few peeks of sun poking through the clouds.
Temperatures will soar through the day Friday as southwesterly winds push into the region. Daytime highs in both Toronto and Ottawa could come close to breaking daily temperature records.
Highs in the mid-teens are likely across southwestern Ontario, with temperatures eking toward 12 or 13 degrees around the Greater Toronto Area.
Most of southern and central Ontario will see temperatures running 10+ degrees above seasonal for the second week of February. Predicted highs of 16°C in Windsor and 7°C in Timmins will both run 16 degrees above seasonal.
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Conditions moderate by the weekend
We’ll see temperatures fall back from their lofty highs by Saturday as winds shift behind our departing low-pressure system. Scattered showers will continue for northeastern Ontario and transition to flurries with the arrival of colder air on Saturday morning.
Folks across southern Ontario can expect a period of rain to begin overnight Friday and spread east toward the GTA by Saturday morning. Rain will move out of the region late Saturday, allowing a period of drier conditions to dominate by Sunday.
Above-seasonal conditions are still on tap for our Saturday, with daytime highs reaching the upper single digits for most of the region. Highs might crack into the double-digits in the southwest around Windsor.
Don't write off the winter season just yet!
Despite this week's exceptional warm-up, it's not time to write off the winter season just yet.
A major pattern change will develop next week as temperatures trend colder.
There will be a period of transition, but we expect near seasonal, and at times, colder-than-seasonal temperatures will dominate during the second half of February and into the first half of March.
WATCH BELOW: What the upcoming cold air could mean for the Great Lakes
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Ontario.